A car engine that runs on water? Yes it’s true!

Genepax CEO Kiyoshi Hirasawa presented their eco-friendly car that runs entirely on water. The company is in talks for mass production of the “engine” which currently costs $18,522, but as soon as next year with right quantities it could be lowered to below $4,600 or less if they succeed in bringing it into mass production. .

Big advantage of this solution is that there is only water in car’s tank, and hydrogen is produced on site, virtually eliminating storage concerns. Genepax is in talks about mass production with another Japanese auto manufacturer.

The car has an energy generator that extracts hydrogen from water that is poured into the car’s tank. The generator then releases electrons that produce electric power to run the car. Their new “Water Energy System (WES),” generates power by supplying water and air to the fuel and air electrodes using a proprietary technology called the Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA). The secret behind MEA is a special material that is capable of breaking down water into hydrogen and oxygen through a chemical reaction. Exact details were kept secret, but new process, while based on existing technology, is expected to produce hydrogen from water for longer time than any method currently available. Furthermore, WES does not require a hydrogen reformer, a high-pressure hydrogen tank, or any special catalysts to get the job done. According to Genepax’s results, one liter of water (and you can use any kind of water, even sea water) powers the car for about one hour, with top speed of around 80 km/h.

During a recent conference, Genepax unveiled a fuel cell stack with a rated output of 120W and a fuel cell system with a rated output of 300W—and there are plans for a 1kw-class generation system for use in both electric vehicles and houses sometime in the future.

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Greg Macke – Your Car Angel

Greg Macke is a car buying specialist, author and consumer advocate working closely in the industry to improve the buyer's experience. The same proven methods Greg uses when buying cars for his clients are available to you at:
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